Friday, November 12, 2010

Life of a Software Engineer

Pays damn good. Life Sucks!….Software Engineer


Here is an story I had read quite long ago at AboutMyJob.com that interested me. The website is about a place where professionals can put up their job experiences, whether good or bad(though it is often the later!), for everyone to read. Most people you find here are complaining and this is no surprise. The article quoted below was written long back in the year 2001 and probably doesn't hold true in today's IT world. But it still makes for a good reading. Read it below...


I’m a software engineer writing this so that someone can learn from my experience.
I graduated in 2000 and got two technical degrees from one of the most “esteemed” universities in India.(I would not be able to answer even the most basic questions if asked a question on the subject of either of my degrees. This might sound stupid but you wont believe the number of people who are like me!!!) I got my first job in the US of A. And my first car is something I only previously saw in american movies.
I work in a major communication systems deveopment company and spend my life sitting in front of a computer screen ( mostly thinking “What the hell am I doing here???”. ).
I have been working only for a year now and already I feel I’ve burnt out. The work that I do is really interesting as far as software engineering goes.The field is in embedded system developement. Real systems work. You also get to work on real life problems which affect millions of users worldwide and problems which most computer developers would kill to be working on.

You work with new technology and even have a sense of accomplishment that your work is really being used by people. The work culture ensures that you get the sole credit for any work that you do.

The Good points of my job:

1. Good pay.

2. Intellectually stimulating.

3. Not something anyone can do!
The bad:

1. NO women!

2. No or minimum contact with people.

2. LONG hours in the office.

3. Lots of stress.

4. No social life.

5. Radiation burns from the monitors. :-)
Guys at college: (esp in India)… MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING! THINK about what you REALLY want to do in life!Its not a joke. And usually in India you dont have a choice. Its YOUR life… dont let anyone else (even parents) make this decision for you.
I am seriously thinking of changing my career. Unfortunately I dont know what I would love to do. And the things that I do love …people would not pay me to do :-) . 
I’m searching alternatives right now. Lets see what happens.
I had previously thought that I’d make a million and retire by 25… (yes I said 25). That was possible in my field maybe a year ago but not now and probably not for the next two/three years. And I cant waste those precious years.
In five I years I want see my self on a place with tropical beaches. The same for when I’m thirty… doing something I really love.
Umm enough … I think I’ve bored you enough.

Click here for the original article.

1 comment:

Android development said...

Nice and funny. I like this post.

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